Handle for an outboard motor



| e. MICHLER 2,826,931

HANDLE FOR AN OUTBOARD. MOTOR March 18, 1958 Filed June 26, 1956 INVENTOR Jew 63% wk BY Mi ATTORNEY HANDLE FOR AN OUTBOARD MOTOR Lehbeus G. Michler, Ventnor City, N. J. Application June 26, 1956, Serial No. 593,999

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-484) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a handle for an outboard motor.

As is well known to those who are familiar with outboard motors, there is a relatively short handle attached to the motor which motor in turn is attached on the stern of a boat and the handle is used to swing the motor about a small horizontal arc to thus steer the boat.

The handle is also arranged so that by turning a grip fastened on the end of the handle the amount of gas to the engine is varied, so that both the speed of the motor and the direction of the boat are controlled by the handle.

It often happens that the boat is rather small and the weight of the motor plus the weight of the operator or boatman, both being in the stern, cause the boat to tilt at an unfavorable angle. Furthermore, when the operator sits in the stern, inasmuch as there is very little free board, it is possible to swamp the boat if there is a following sea.

One of the objects, therefore, of the present invention is to construct a handle that will readily replace the handles now in use; and the handle in turn is provided to receive an extension or supplemental handle so that the operator may be able to control the steering and the speed of the motor while sitting amidship, thus causing the boat to ride on a more even keel as the weight is more evenly distributed.

Another object of the invention is to produce a handle proper that may quickly be substituted for most of the conventional handles now in use so that it is but a matter of a few minutes to change from one handle to the other, and at the same time furnish an extension or supplemental handle that may quickly be fitted within the handle proper and may be detached in a few seconds, so that as the boat approaches the dock the operator can move to the stern and then steer the boat with the handle proper, that is, the handle minus the supplemental handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle consisting essentially of the outer shell and control shaft with a pinion on the one end, the control shaft running through a tube near the other end of the handle proper, and the tube being fitted to receive the end of the supplemental handle so that the turning of the supplemental handle will regulate the amount of gas to the outboard motor the same as if controlled by the regular handle; and at the same time the supplemental handle may be turned to regulate the amount of gas and therefore regulate the amount of speed of the outboard motor.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain new and novel structures and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a small boat, showing the motor mounted on the transom, together with the handle proper and the supplemental handle,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, and

V Unitfid Stiits P atfint O 2C6 Patented Mar. 18,1958

showing one end of the supplemental handle fitting with in the handle proper,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the tube which receives the control shaft and the supplemental handle, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one end of the supplemental handle.

It will be understood at the outset that Fig. 1 is merely illustrative of any small boat, and the seats in the stern may be arranged differently.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown the hull 1 of a boat with the stern seats 2, the outboard motor 3, the handle proper 4, and the extension or supplemental handle 5 which, it will be noticed, may extend up to a seat 6, so that the operator after leaving the dock may move to the seat 6 and control the steering of the boat and the speed of the motor from this position.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, there is shown the handle proper 4, which is made of two longitudinal halves fastened to each other. There may be seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2 a bearing 7 through which passes the control shaft 8 with its pinion 9 mounted on its end, which meshes with the pinion 10 on the shaft 11 that leads to the outboard motor 3.

Referring to Fig. 3 for the moment, it will be seen that the shell at its other end is supported in the bearing 12; and over the shell or handle proper 4 fits the hard rubber or plastic grip 13, having a central bore 13 just slightly larger than the diameter of the shell of the handle proper 4, so that the grip 13 may turn about the shell of the handle proper 4. This grip 13 extends beyond the end of the shell that makes up the handle proper 4 so that the grip 13 may be pinned to a tube next to be referred to.

Now, referring to Figs. 3 and 4 for the moment, there is shown a tube 14 which may be made of metal or plastic, and this tube 14 is reinforced internally as at 15 and has the flattened upper surface 16 and the flattened undersurface 17 and has the central bore 18. This tube 14 fits within the aforementioned hearing or cap 12 (as may be seen in Fig. 3) and fits snugly within the counter-bore portion 19 of the beforementioned grip 13.

As may be seen in Fig. 2, there is a cap screw 20 that passes through the outer end of the grip 13 and is threaded into the tube 14 as at 21, so that a turning by hand of this grip 13 would in turn tend to partially revolve the tube 14.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be seen that one end of the control shaft 8 extends into the tube 14 and through the reinforcement 15 which, as herebefore mentioned, is provided with a central bore 18.

As may be seen in Fig. 4, there is a threaded pin 22 that fits through the opening 23 near the rear of the tube 14 and through an opening 24 formed in the control shaft 8, so that a turning of the grip 13 in turn will revolve the tube 14 as it is pinned thereto by the aforementioned cap screw 2%; and, inasmuch as the tube 14 at its other end is pinned to the control shaft 8 by the pin 22, a turning of the grip 13 will turn the control shaft 8.

As heretofore mentioned, this handle proper may quickly be substituted on a number of different makes of outboard motors as most of the handles are conventional.

Now the handle proper may be used this way, but furthermore it is adapted to receive a supplemental handle 5 which has a core and a bayonet slot 25 formed in its one end, as shown in Fig. 6.

It might be mentioned here that the grip 13 is also bored at 26 so that this supplemental handle 5 may he slipped through the rear end of the grip 13, passed into the tube 14, and have the walls 27 about the bayonet slot 25 encompass or fit over the aforementioned flat sides 16 and 17 of the reinforcement 15.

It will also be seen that the rear end of the control rod i bofit Q e t nds. into e afor m ntione bayon slot 25 of the supplemental handle 5. The. supplemental handle 5 may have a soft rubber gripZS .on its proximal end, that is, the end that is gripped by the boatrnan, so that the supplemental handle 5 is easy to turn.

Finally, although it seems no part of the invention, but inasmuchas it is illustrated, there is generally molded on the, grip 13 an arrow 29 (see Fig. 2) while clamped around the handle proper 4 is a small band 30 with indieia thereon so that the boatman can revolve the grip 13 to in turn operate the control shaft for starting or regulating the speed of the motor.

From ;t h e foregoing it will be seen that I have produced a'handle that is to be supplemental to the conventional handle, and the handle proper is so constructed that it may be used similar to the conventional handle now in use but when desired .it is but a matter .of a moment to insert this supplemental handle, which may be of any length desired, so that:the operator or boatman may sit at a place other than in the stern of the boat, thus making it possible for the boat to ride on a more even keel.

I am aware that it is not new to control the outboard motor from a point other than the stern seat, such as by using a Wheel, or ropes and cables, but this is more or less of an extra expenditure, and the ropes and cables sometimes are in the way when the boat is used for trolling or fishing.

The handle is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and the supplemental handle may be cut,.that is cut off, at its proximal end so that the desired length from where the boatman is sitting to the handle proper may be attained.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a handle for controlling the angularity and speed of an outboard motor, consisting of a shell, a control shaft moppted in said shell provided with a pinion on its one end, the said shell forming the handle proper; a tube within the shell and pinned to the aforementioned shaft: a grip on the handle extending beyond the end of the aforementioned handle and pinned to said tube, whereby a turning of the grip will operate the control shaft, the outer end of the grip having a central opening; the tube having an interlocking means near one end; a supplemental handle cut out at its end and adapted to fit within said tube and cooperate with said interlocking means, whereby a turning of the supplemental handle will also operate the aforementioned control. shaft.

2. In a handle for controlling the angularity and speed of an outboard motor, consisting of a shell, 2. control shaft mounted in said shell provided with a pinion on its one end, the said shell forming the handle proper; a tube within the shell and pinned to the aforementioned shaft; a grip on thehandle extending beyond the end of the aforementioned handle and pinned to said tube, whereby a turning of the grip will operate the control shaft, the outer end of the grip having a central opening, the tube having an interlocking means near one end consisting of a member having fiatted upper and lower sides; a supplemental handle having a bayonet slot in its one endand adapted to be fitted within said tube; and the walls about the bayonet slot encompass the fiatted sides of the aforementioned member, whereby a turning of the supplemental handle will in turn operate the aforementioned control shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,409,207 OSdel Mar. 14, 1922 1,800,638 Kopke Apr. 14, 1931 2,567,681 Schwartz Sept. 11, 1951 2,615,418 Aspenleiter Oct. 28, 1952 2,635,576 Kiekhaefer Apr. 21, 1953 2,651,278 Davison Sept. 8, 1953 

